Battle of the Ages

The hottest ticket in the world last week was a ringside seat at Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino for the ”Battle of the Ages,” the bout between old George Foreman and young Evander Holyfield. The fight, of course, went the distance (youth was served) — and so did the action at the celeb-studded prefight poolside party hosted by TVKO, the company that sent the pay-per-view event into 2 million homes at around $40 per pop.

Highlight of the night: the arrival of Kevin Costner, who, clad in faded jeans, remained unfazed by the wild crush of paparazzi. Did he have any money on the fight? ”I have some money,” replied Costner, ”but I don’t have any on this fight.” Later, Costner spent a few moments chatting with Marla Maples, who otherwise stuck with (surprise!) Donald Trump. Other guests included Dennis Hopper, Ray Liotta, Liam Neeson, and John Hughes. The oddest accidental pairing of the mostly stag night: Gene Hackman, in natural-tone sports jacket, sitting silently beside Mr. T, who wore 40 pounds of gold (including a fork, knife, and spoon around his neck) and told anyone who inquired about the fight that ”a black man will win.”